Mainly in mid-June, the power of the Second Eastern Expedition of the Deposed Dragon Army was completely different from the previous one, and at the same time far beyond the imagination of the locals and surrounding people.
This kind of grandeur is not the kind of unstoppable force that relies on tens of thousands of troops marching along the official road in large numbers, attacking every enemy along the way, like spears advancing and piercing everything, but a kind of unstoppable force similar to the one that is not uncommon in the Jishui River Basin. The flood soaked everything.
Tens of thousands of troops marched eastward, but they dispersed into tribes of thousands, thousands, even five hundred, one or two hundred, and penetrated into key places in the three counties in order, from the main official roads and main cities, They went to transportation hubs, towns, mines and ferries, and then to rural houses, followed by various clear and unmistakable government orders and large-scale public security cleaning.
The last step is the actual implementation of the decree.
In almost half a month, in the area occupied by the Deposed Dragon Army in the three counties, most of the commercial activities, agricultural activities, handicraft activities, cultural activities, and public security activities were all related to the Deposed Dragon Gang and the Deposed Dragon Army. There was a tangible convergence of this military-political entity.
There will inevitably be chaos and disorder, perfunctory and covert resistance, and even oppression due to excessive force. But what no one can deny is that the Deposed Dragon Gang used this method to give the three counties in the upper reaches of Jishui a deep impression in a short period of time - they really wanted to take over everything on behalf of the government, and they were Really want to rebel.
This group of people who wear Liuhe boots, carry long swords, and march almost all the time really want to change the dynasty!
However, this powerful, flood-like march and conquest that penetrated everything was by no means without its disadvantages. The most obvious point was that the troops invested too much energy and troops in the local area. This led to an embarrassing fact that had to be faced in late June when the Dragon-Deposed Army attempted the next phase of its conquest plan.
That is, at the beginning of the Second Eastern Expedition, the troops mobilized by the Deposed Dragon Gang included 30,000 troops from Lihu and Lishan, plus the Niuda tribe who advanced early, and the southern reinforcements led by Wang Zhen who caught up later. In fact, The number of troops was as high as more than 35,000; but when they were ready to attack the western part of Lu County, the western part of Jibei County, and the most important, Qi County, there were only more than 23,000 temporarily available mobile troops.
A full twelve thousand people were dragged along these grounds.
"It's not 12,000 people." Here in Sucheng, the junction of the three counties, with the cicadas chirping in the afternoon, Xu Shiying, who actually served as the acting commander-in-chief of Zhang Xing's military strategy, thought for a moment and stood in the shade of the front yard of Cangcheng. A correction was made. "We also surrendered about 3,000 troops of various types, including the Jin Bor Army..."
"Then it's even more inappropriate...Fifteen thousand people were just pinned down." Wang Shuyong, who came from Jibei, became a little restless.
"That's not how the account was settled." Chief Wei Xuanding, who had obviously become angry these days, immediately shook his head. "Fifteen thousand people sounds like a lot, but in fact, if they fall into more than 20 counties, that's seven to eight hundred people in one county... And to put it bluntly, can the surrender of the army be really used? Yuncheng , Do we need to deploy more troops in key places in Liangshan Village?"
"Not bad." Bai Yousi, who gradually began to adapt to the atmosphere and new identity, also interjected. "According to my observation, in fact, there are only about 500 garrison troops in an average county."
"Five hundred is too much, right?" Shan Tonghai, who was sitting in the corner, also followed suit. "This is a garrison, not a government official."
"The key is that there is a shortage of government officials now. They are actually doing the work of government officials and city defense." Wei Xuanding immediately refuted. "From what I've seen over the past ten days, urging farm work, harvesting crops, including on-site harvesting and transportation of land taxes, you have to deal with the big and small landowners... Without the pressure of soldiers and horses, how could those people be so honest?"
As soon as these words came out, the surrounding area was obviously stagnant.
The reason is self-evident. The so-called landlords are actually the powerful people in these three counties. They have the same professional background as the leaders here. I dare to ask everyone here, who was honest back then?
These words really bring back good memories of those years.
"The power of our march is too great!" Niuda sighed slightly after a while. "They were so frightened that they didn't dare to move."
"So," Xu Shiying finally expressed his attitude. "Everything is going well now, and it has something to do with the troops here. If we mobilize the troops, many things may not be in order... And I think the current situation is rare. If we hastily mobilize the troops, there will be many things here. If things go to waste, even if we come back after winning the battle in the future, it may not be such a good situation."
"But according to Xu Dalang's intention, we are all fighting in front, but we don't fight forward?" Shan Tonghai asked coldly. "If this is the case, I won't say that there will be changes in the front, and people like Fan Bao and Jia Wugen will become stronger again. I will only talk about the back. When these people see the situation like this, but we remain motionless, will they also think that we are timid and afraid of getting into trouble? How about moving and regaining ambition?"
"No." Niu Da shook his head repeatedly. "You're ready for the first battle with Lishan."
"Then we should march with confidence." Wang Shuyong couldn't help but interrupt.
"It's hard to say." Wei Xuanding frowned. "These days, I have been coming all the way from west to east. I think there is nothing wrong with Dongping County, and it is similar in Jibei, but I feel something is wrong in Lu County."
"Chief Wei's feeling makes sense." Shan Tonghai perked up slightly. "Jibei County, Dongping County, Dongjun, and Jiyin are all connected by the Jishui River. The news is smooth and there are many personnel exchanges. As for Lu County, I noticed last time that they are somewhat different from us. The barrier is not only about information, but also about many things."
"It's the terrain." At this moment, Zhang Xing, who had been looking down at the form, suddenly spoke without looking up. "Jishui runs through the past. Not only is the transportation convenient, but there are actually differences in terrain... Lu County, southern Qi County, Langya, as well as the southwest and northeast of Dengzhou are all typical hilly terrain, while Dong County and Jiyin County , Dongping County, Jibei County, as well as the northern part of Qi County and the center of Dengzhou are all plains in the Ji River Basin."
There was silence all around, and many people looked at each other, completely at a loss. They had no idea why Zhang Dalongtou suddenly said this... Everyone knows this, okay?
Of course, Zhang Xing quickly hit the point: "As we all know, the power of the powerful is basically the foundation of manors and fields, but it can't just be manors, but also other things. Therefore, precisely because of the different geography, in the East Here, powerful people are generally divided into two categories. One type relies on trade and transportation or weaving factories and pottery factories to make a living; the other type relies on mines and forging workshops. Relatively speaking, Jishui and Dengzhou at the end of the river , he has both, and has raised a large number of good family members who came from martial arts schools.”
As soon as these words came out, the people around him couldn't help but be a little commotion, because the word "powerful" touched the soft spots of many people, and some smart people had already realized what Zhang Dalongtou wanted to say.
"Absolutely." After a while, Bai Yousi suddenly chuckled and broke the silence. "In coastal areas, there is also the salt industry and Dongyi smuggling routes. This is the foundation of the heroes in the East. However, in the eyes of the government, these heroes privately control land, mines, commerce, and transportation. There are obvious hidden dangers, but the imperial court cannot get to the bottom, so it cannot do without these people... The two are connected in everything, that is, the word powerful is often mentioned in history books, , and Nanya documents. That year in Jing'an Terrace , Cheng Dalang, Shan Dalang, Xu Dalang, Wang Wulang, as well as the Fan brothers, Jia Wugen, etc., are actually all powerful men with official titles in the Eastern Territory, and once the patrol team arrives in the Eastern Territory, they will take special care of them."
Xu Dalang was also startled, and suddenly laughed, as if he remembered something.
"Do you understand what I mean?" Zhang Xing also smiled, then looked around and asked.
Some people really don't understand, but some people understand it from the beginning.
"The Qilu Army is actually the foundation of local power." Wei Xuanding blurted out. "We are the same...for the three counties in the middle, it is actually still the case. It's just that they were unlucky. They met us and the Qilu Army, and were suppressed and beaten by both sides. They lost the foundation for their own rise. But now the Qilu Army has been defeated, and the government has fled. Now, if we want to completely capture these three counties, the key lies in whether we can capture these powerful forces... Whether we pull them in or suppress them, they are the key! Relatively speaking, if we advance to Qi County one day earlier, we will have to attack Qi County one day later. Marching into Qi County in Japan is not a good idea."
"That's about it, but we can't say we won't march anymore." Zhang Xing responded seriously. "I don't know if you believe it or not. I had considered the need for troops and horses to suppress the situation in this place before, and made preparations. I just didn't expect that this march would be so neat, so that the preparations failed."
"Are they the left-behind troops from the two counties on the western front?" Xu Shiying thought thoughtfully. "Everyone said at the time that there were too many left and it would be difficult to raise them locally, so why not bring them over? But the third brother said that it would be more expensive to bring them over to the army..."
"Yes." Zhang Xing nodded. "I wanted to use the old to bring in the new. After the surrendered soldiers and new recruits over there learned it, I would send them over directly to take over the place... The descending soldiers and the previous recruits on the eastern front were mostly locals from these three counties... The key is The progress here is too fast, and the previous plan cannot catch up."
"Then we won't send troops for the time being?" Shan Tonghai was a little frustrated, but he was just frustrated, but surprisingly he didn't have much anger.
Because, like everyone else, he also understood what Zhang Xing meant.
To be fair, when everyone was a powerful person in the past, they naturally had a set of views on things, but now that they are officials, they feel that those views are serious.
Zhang Xing's meaning is very simple. He won't conquer or disperse the powerful people in these three counties, straighten out the land taxation, and eat up the ferries, markets, fleets, livestock farms, iron mines, and gold mines. , who can feel comfortable? The most direct one is how to expand the army and raise troops? How to improve everyone’s treatment and salary? How do you make everyone feel like they have real control over the territory?
Therefore, it is time to persevere and try to take advantage of this great opportunity to complete the cleanup and control of the local powerful.
"We still have to send troops." Turning back to his eyes, Zhang Xing thought about it seriously. "We cannot let military operations stagnate... What I mean is to leave enough troops to ensure that our political strategy can be implemented. Then, according to the previous priority, we can first send out 10,000 troops to open the Jishui channel. "
Wang Shuyong suddenly became energetic. He was on the left wing, living in Jibei County in the north. This life was naturally his.
Sure enough, Zhang Xing turned to look at him: "Wang Wulang, we will give you reinforcements immediately. We will gather 10,000 troops and fight along the north bank of Jishui. We will first join forces with the Pu Tai Army and Cheng Zhili before discussing anything else."
Wang Shuyong was immediately overjoyed, and everyone else had nothing to say.
In the final analysis, this impromptu discussion was due to the Deposed Dragon Army advancing too quickly, which caused the plan to deviate. It was a kind of happy trouble. Therefore, since Zhang Xing had spoken out and decided on the strategy, he also passed the credit to his own side. People, the rest of the people can't say anything.
At the very least, it is not appropriate to have unnecessary discussions on strategy.
However, just after everyone stood up, Xu Shiying still added a suggestion: "In this case, third brother, why don't you move a little bit more appropriately, how about going to Feicheng or Pingyin? If you go there, I guarantee that no one in Qi County will dare to do it. move."
"I wish any of them would move." Zhang Xing said one by one. "And I have decided to go to Lu County to have a look... Firstly, I want to see the powerful characteristics of the place, and secondly, I want to wait for King Xiongtian. He has not returned from Lu County for a long time. The reason why he did not make a big move is that he did not inform The quality of the rebel armies in southeastern Shandong is also an important reason... Let the leader Shan go to Feicheng! You are still here to take charge!"
Shan Tonghai was surprised for a moment, while Xu Shiying had no unnecessary reaction, but still nodded slightly to express recognition and acceptance.
On June 25, just two days after arriving in Sucheng, Zhang Xing once again moved his red-bottomed "deposed" flag and headed towards Lu County. Nothing happened that day, but the next day, June 26, when the troops crossed the Wenshui River, he encountered an interesting incident.
"They said they were a couple visiting relatives." Wang Xiongdan wiped his sweat and reported to Zhang Dalongtou, who was waiting for the army to cross the river on the embankment. "But something was obviously wrong. The two people were sitting in the shabby house over there. When they saw the sentry rider, they became extremely panicked. Their words, expressions and gestures were too obvious... The sentry rider did not dare to neglect, so they were all tied up."
Zhang Xing looked at a middle-aged man and woman standing under the river embankment with their hands tied behind their backs and their heads bowed but obviously trembling. He couldn't help but be startled: "Then they are spies? Such panic spies? Who are they for?"
"This is the strange thing." Wang Xiongdan also felt speechless. "Both of them have no cultivation, and they are too obviously panicked. They don't look like spies... but the sentry cavalry cannot ignore it when they encounter this kind of situation."
Zhang Xing thought for a while, got off the yellow gelding, and stepped forward, only to see the middle-aged man and woman still bowing their heads. The woman's feet were covered in dust and red cloth shoes that looked particularly eye-catching.
After watching for a while, Zhang Xing asked seriously: "Why did you elope? Did your husband beat you?"
The people around were surprised for a moment, and the middle-aged woman whose hands were cut behind her back also raised her head in shock. She was a little angry, but she burst into tears and knelt down on the spot: "My lord, please forgive me, this is not an elopement. This is what my husband promised... "
"Your husband allows you to go with other men?" Zhang Xing was slightly puzzled.
"It's true." The man also trembled and raised his head. "Her husband was disabled during the Second Expedition, but the family farm is still there. I don't have a wife, so I farm for her family. Her husband allows us to be together..."
Zhang Xing suddenly asked: "Then why are you running away now?"
"Because the autumn harvest is coming soon, the new government is urging us hard. The eldest man of the Lin family nearby is urging us again, saying that if it doesn't work, I will be sent to the army. But I farm two fields by myself, and I can't do it well at all. And because of the previous We were badly injured in the war, and we couldn't afford food, and we were afraid of being raped as young men, so the two families discussed it together. I escaped with her and lived together, while her husband and my old father resigned themselves to their fate." The man was a little bit Be brave. "When I got here, I found that there was no boat, the ferry was burned down, and the village was gone. I didn't dare to go back."
"Where are you from?" Unlike the others who were obviously confused, Zhang Xing instantly realized the rationality of the other party's actions, and then asked the question he was most concerned about a little anxiously.
"Father Liang." The man quickly answered.
Zhang Xing breathed a sigh of relief. This was not the area currently occupied by the Deposed Dragon Army, but he immediately felt funny again... What does this have to do with whether it was the area occupied by the Deposed Dragon Army?
The key to the problem is that after leaving Dongjun and Jiyin counties, the further you go, the more obvious the adverse effects of the turmoil since the Three Expeditions will be. To be honest, the Deposed Dragon Army and the Qilu Official Army are definitely two strange flowers in troubled times, and they can also be regarded as standard local forces. However, as long as they fight, they still cannot stop the deterioration of the world.
Many things are never urgent.
"Go back." Zhang Xing thought for a while and then came to persuade him seriously on the river embankment. "I'm writing a letter to your Mr. Lin, asking him to delay your family's land tax this year."
Wang Xiongdan was stunned for a moment and quickly went to untie the rope.
PS: Good night everyone.
(End of chapter)
